Homeschool History Co-Op: Creation to Christ, Part 1

Today began our history co-op and I'm thrilled to see it unfold this year. We decided to blaze our own trail this year with a number of resources since it seemed that there were a few gaps in some of the resources. My friend and I wanted to cover history with a more Christ-Centered view : His-Story! I love to see the intricate weaving of God's providence in the tapestry of time. It strengthens the faith and gives hope - especially in these uncertain times.

We are only done planning the first HALF of the year so far. So the title is kind of tricky on this post. It really should be Creation to Egypt... because Greece and Rome are our second half of the year.

We begin with a clean slate, a few ideas, and a stack full of awesome books. I thought I would share with you a few of those book titles (most of which you can purchase for yourself in my Amazon book store if you are interested in them - just click the History category):

Main Spines:
The Bible
The Story of the Ancient World (Revised and expanded edition of "The Story of the Chosen People" By H.A.Guerger) - Christine Miller (a book no Christian homeschool history teacher should be without)
Ancient Civilizations and the Bible ,Volume 1 book A - Diana Waring
The Story of the World: Ancient Times - Susan Wise Bauer
Veritas Press Old Testament and Ancient Egypt
Veritas Press Ancient Egypt and Bible Timeline Cards
Streams of Civilization Volume 1 - Christian Liberty Press
A Child's Geography: Explore the Holy Land - Ann Voskamp (I heart Ann.)
Go To Egypt - Tapestry of Grace (free online unit)
The Time Tables of History - Grun

Enrichment:
Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of their Life and Times - Ruth Beechick
Reader's Digest A B C's of the Bible
Nelson's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Bible Facts
Shadow Hawk - Andre Norton
The Tombs of Anak - Frank Peretti
The Internet Linked Encyclopedia of World History - Usborne
Hailey's Bible Handbook
The Golden Goblet - Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Mara Daughter of the Nile - Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Who Built the Pyramids - Usborne
Pyramid - David Macaulay
Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation - Dennis R. Petersen
Dinosaurs by Design - Duane T. Gish, Ph.D.
Crafts from the Past, The Egyptians - Gillian Chapman (Chick-fil-A Book)
Make it Work! Ancient Egypt - Andrew Haslam
Skeletons in Your Closet, Discovering Your Real Family Tree - Gary Parker
Creation Seminar Series Workbook & Charts - Kent Hovind
Fun with Hyroglyphs - The Metropolitan Museum of Art
TinTin's Travel Diaries: Egypt and the Middle East - Barron's
A Coloring Book of Queen Nefertiti - Bellerophon
History Detectives: Ancient Egypt - Philip Ardagh
Science in Ancient Egypt - Geraldine Woods
Life in Ancient Egypt Coloring Book - John Green (Dover)
Pharaohs & Pyramids (The Usborne Time Traveler) - Tony Allan
Ancient Egyptian Art Cards in Full Color - The British Museum
Cleopatra - Diane Stanley (beautiful illustrations!)
Modern Rhymes About Ancient Times: Ancient Egypt - Susan Altman and Susan Lechner
Story of the Nile - Steve Noon (DK)
Egyptology - Journal of Emily Sands
The Cat of Bubastes - G. A. Henty

These are a pool of books brought together by my friend and I to teach for this first semester of the year. I haven't even tried to hit the library yet!

We are hoping to finish Creation through Egypt by Christmas and begin Greece and Rome next semester.

To go along with our books, we're making history notebooks where we'll keep our notes, worksheets, writings and artwork. I hope they have a masterpiece of ancient history to remember this year by when we are done!

What are you studying for history this year? Have any books or ideas to suggest to make our school year even better? Share them in the comments section! It only takes a second!




Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Technorati Tags: homeschooling, history, learning, ancient, lesson+plans, school, homeschool, education, faith, unit studies, teaching, teacher, Egypt, kids, parenting

At Least I Used the Camera

If nothing else gets done around here, we are dedicated to at least getting the camera and video cam out every day. That's my new motto. Because a girl has to have a motto to keep her sane in the middle of life's trenches, right?

I'm sorry if this is the first place you are hearing this: life, homeschooling or parenting don't ever really get easier. They just get different - but not easy. God is always keeping you on your toes!

Busy is a great way to be, though... and we always have something going on.



Like this week: Kevin's insane sinus allergy nightmare. While I can't take a picture of his sinuses, this photo says it all. Or well, it says I had camera blur. I think it captured most of how he felt all week really well.



Or there's the garden. Well, it's going on - I guess. It is fending for itself out there in the blistering Texas heat with hardly any water... because we are all on mandatory one-day a week watering (and it has become illegal even to serve a glass of water in Austin without the customer asking for one at a restaurant). So my tomatoes are all really tiny. When life gives you a bunch of tiny tomatoes.... make salad.



Small things aren't bad in all situations. However, last weekend when I pulled up at the Uhaul place in Columbus to pick up my truck, I had rented a tiny trailer without a ramp - for a HUGE REFRIGERATOR. That little Uhaul shop gave me a huge truck with a ramp to get my job done without charging me extra. And saved my marriage.



Which in turn allowed me to enjoy visiting with Pam. She's a keeper. She GAVE me her china hutch, table, chairs, a dresser, dishes, bookcases and a huge stack of books. Books! {homeschoolers love books} Then she sold me her shiny silver refrigerator. Which looks great in my kitchen. She got rid of everything in her house! She's jet-setting around the world in a travel trailer. Talk about decluttering?!!! She inspired me to do some decluttering of my own... which I've been doing this week.

Of course, Kohen liked Pam, too. And he's a great judge of character. I think.



Chickie and Kohen both really like Pam. And I do, too. And Kohen is cute. So that's that.

How to Exasperate Your Children

One of the many benefits of cleaning out your file cabinets and getting organized is finding hidden treasures that you have gleaned from many years of printing homeschool 'advice' emails. I found one such treasure this morning in my purging frenzy and just had to share it with you. As a perfectionist and an analytical thinker, I admit that I have been less than a perfect roll model of love and acceptance 100% of the time with my children. I tend to expect too much, lecture too much, get upset too quickly, and be too critical. I was glad for the reminder to NOT exasperate the children this morning from this anonymous email I got in 2003 from a homeschooling mentor. Wish I could give credit to the original author... but alas, there was no byline. Thank you to whomever wrote it - the items on this list are truly solid advice!

You Exasperate Your Children When You...

1. Never admit you are wrong.
Instead, tell your children you have made a mistake and ask their forgiveness and God's if you sin in your actions or attitudes.

2. Model hypocrisy (say one thing, do another)

3. Fail to keep promises.
Be cautious with your words. You may not think you are making a promise, but your children may interpret your words or actions as promises.

4. Demand too much of them.
Don't expect them to act like adults. Be reasonable in your expectations of their actions, attitudes and how much responsibility you expect of them. Try timing your workflow to see if what you are asking is even possible (if you tend towards overloading the schedule).

5. Over protect them.
Don't bail them out of problems - let them learn the hard way now. The cost will be less now than later in life when you aren't there to pick them up.

6. Batter them with words.
Use your words sparingly! Be consistent and let your yes be yes, your no be no, and your words be solid in action.

7. Abuse them verbally.
Never call names, add explanation marks to their names or predict failure. Find ways to compliment and praise them instead. Tell them all the things they do well - not a list of their shortcomings.

8. Make discipline too severe.

9. Show favoritism.
Don't compare children in their achievements, abilities or grades. They are each unique gifts from God.

10. Embarrass them.
Be careful and cautious with how you speak about them to others - especially when they are present.

11. Give no time warnings.
Don't come in a room and tell them to stop immediately unless they are doing something that will harm them or others. Give them a few minutes to adjust to your expectations. Tell them 'bed in five minutes' or 'we are leaving in ten minutes, so please finish and clean up' - then follow through!

12. Try to be their buddy.
You are the parent. Time for friendships is later in life when they are parents themselves.

13. Withhold firm discipline and proper training.
If you tell them dinner is ready and they don't come, no dinner. Don't debate. You are the parent. Train them in the way they should go and always remain calm and prayerful in your decisions. Then stick to it!

14. Discipline inconsistently/use different punishments for the same offense.
Each child should receive the same punishment for the same crime. Being tired is no excuse for inconsistent punishments. Keep a journal to ensure consistency.

15. Are weak with your authority.
Don't let the children ask you repeatedly to have or do something. Don't allow them to even TRY to wear you down. If you make a decision, stick to it.

16. Consistently believe evil of them.
When you are suspicious of them, making accusations of wrongdoing, you are deflating their trust in your unconditional love and acceptance of them. Be happy with them and know that you are blessed to be their parent. Your trust and acceptance can encourage them to make right choices.

17. Do not listen to them.
Let them explain their frustrations with you and be honest with you about how they feel - even if it upsets you. They should be polite and respectful, but they should always be allowed to come to you with their feelings.

18. Continually criticize them.
"A child can only take so much gloom." - Little House on the Prairie

19. Communicate to them that they are unwanted.
If you tell them it would be easier to go to work than take care of kids at home and they will think you would rather be there. Don't tell them what you are giving up to raise them or they will think you would rather not be their parent. When you are frustrated, pray - do not speak hurtful things you will regret.

20. Threaten them with rejection.
If they are not doing what they should, discipline them. If they refuse to obey, let them sit outside on a bench in your back yard because you will not allow willful disobedience in your home. Don't threaten them with empty threats. Only say what you really mean after you have time alone to pray about the issue. Ask for help if the disobedience spirals out of control. Maybe an objective mentor can give you ideas you haven't thought of to curb the problem.

21. Never communicate your approval of them.
If you only take time out of your day to correct them and not ever to encourage them, you are teaching them to seek your attention through negative actions. You are also making them not like themselves - which will make them seek approval in others by doing things to get attention from their peers.

22. Neglect them.
Don't allow the phone or your own private duties to interrupt your time together. Make time to build a relationship with them. Take time to listen and communicate with them. Get to know them as a person. Keep a prayer journal for them and make notes about time you have spent talking with them. Remember what it was like to court your spouse? Love them with your whole heart. The house cleaning can wait.

23. Overindulge them.
Don't allow them to be part of your decision making when you are making parental decisions and don't spoil them with material things. Don't allow too much screen time or 'twaddle' or they will develop a taste for 'the easy life' and balk at hard work and deep thinking. They will expect things to be given to them and not want to put out effort to achieve them.

24. Reward insolence, sass, pouting, anger, or disrespect.
A child should never raise his voice at his parents unless he is calling you from afar. Do not allow a disrespectful tone to be rewarded by acknowledgment. Cease the conversation and discipline. Bad attitudes are a symptom of a clouded heart. The bible talks about the heart's wickedness. A great book on discipline and heart issues is "Shepherding a Child's Heart" by Ted Tripp.

25. Cease a time of chastisement before it has produced humility.
Don't stop in your punishment of bad behavior until you see the fruit of a changed heart. If the actions AND attitudes change, you have succeeded in your objective as their disciple. If there is only an action change, and yet their countenance is still angry, you have only taught them that lip service is all you are asking of them. Their heart is the root of the disobedience. Your job is not to weed out bad behavior, but to till the soil of the heart until GOOD can grow there.

Organic Applesauce Peanut Butter and Juicebox Give-Away

I don't know about you, but I love me some organic food. Santa Cruz Organic and R. W. Knudsen Organic 'Sensible Sippers' stole our hearts soon after they arrived in our home. They sent us a box full of organic samples in the mail that weighed as much as a heavy stack of text books. We couldn't believe how much food was in it. Did I mention that I love food? In this BOX o' ORGANICS (the very same box you can win in this post) were a bunch of juice boxes, two jars of organic peanut butter (crunchy and creamy), and FOUR different kinds of applesauce! The UPS man may never recover from carrying all that food up to my door.

There was Apple Apricot Sauce, Apple Blackberry Sauce, Apple Cinnamon Sauce and Apple Raspberry Sauce... oh, it was dreamy!

I wish we still had some in the refrigerator right now.

Applesauce is one of our favorite snacks during school because it is healthy and easy (no peeling necessary). I just don't pass up free applesauce, y'all. Applesauce is a Sprittibee staple. I HAD to try this stuff... and I was NOT disappointed. It is crazy good. I am in to brand loyalty (stuck in my ways), but I'm telling you - we have been pining for this stuff since the last of it disappeared.

Unfortunately, the nearest store that sells it is quite a ways in to town. We remain determined to get some more, though. The kids even mentioned it to me today. I'm hoping to talk our local grocery store in to carrying these yummy treats.



After the applesauce vanished, we dug in to the juice boxes. I don't know about you, but I like to add water to my juice to make it less sweet so the kids don't get used to so much sugar. This is especially true for the little ones and kids who are sensitive to sugar in the first place. R. W. Knudsen Organic Sensible Sippers thought of everything. Now you don't have to worry about the kids getting STRAIGHT juice when they crack open a cold juice box on the go - theirs come with 50% juice, 50% water... and they are entirely ORGANIC! My little Bee is sure to be enjoying these in the future!

We loved the flavors, too: Apple, Fruit Punch (organic apple, pineapple, orange, and lemon juices), Banana (shown above), and Mixed Berry (organic apple, raspberry, blackberry, cherry and white grape juices). Mmmm!



Of course, their peanut butter wasn't bad, either. Tastes great with my plum jelly on a PBJ for lunch! In fact, we ate some today! What I love is that they have light roasted creamy or crunchy and DARK roasted creamy or crunchy! They call it 'gourmet peanut butter'. I just call it yummy.

Here's how you can win a heavy box full of yummy organic treats:

#1 (mandatory) Visit www.knudsenjuices.com and click on their 'recipe' section. Tell me your favorite of the recipes they have listed. Leave it in one comment by itself.

#2 (mandatory) Visit www.scojuice.com and click on their 'products' section. Leave one comment by itself telling me what your favorite item is.

Other ways to get additional entries:

#3 (optional) tweet about this contest. ( @sprittibee is giving away a huge box of Organic Applesauce Peanut Butter and Juiceboxes for back to school! Pls RT! http://bit.ly/LSyFy ) You can do this once each day - one entry each time. Leave one comment with your tweet url for each time you tweet.

#4 (optional) follow my recipe blog: www.gatheringmanna.blogspot.com (you can also click the food link in my sidebar!) Leave a comment here telling me that you did it so it will count as an entry.

#5 (optional) email me your favorite recipe. Just because. Then social-bookmark this post! (Stumble, Digg, Facebook, Del.icio.us, etc.) Leave a comment telling me which you did. One entry for each.

#6 (optional) share your favorite snack idea for the school year. Make sure it is in it's own separate comment!

There you go! Six easy ways to enter and win a huge box of organic treats for your kiddos (or yourself... cuz I know you'll be sneaking some when the rug rats aren't looking).

You have until September 12th to enter. The winner will be chosen at random by random.org and announced on September 13th. Good luck!

Happy healthy eating and drinking this school year!



Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: give+away, food, snacks, organic, applesauce, healthy, free, groceries, contest, vegetarian, juice, delicious, yummy, eat

Moving Along with Baby on Board

So here's how our first FULL day back at school went in a nutshell:

7:30am - wake, nurse baby, fall back asleep
8:30am - wake, check email on iPhone while kids change diaper and take him downstairs to play with him
8:53am - brush teeth
8:54am - nurse baby while kids eat breakfast (Morgan makes me a shake)
9:00am - drink shake and watch humming birds in yard through window
9:18am - kids do kitchen dishes, I change diaper
9:23am - play classical station and put baby in swing - make beds
9:24am - yell at kids who are still downstairs to hurry up
9:33am - get dressed
9:40am - kids start dishwasher
9:41am - nurse baby and try to lay him down for morning nap
9:50am - remind kids to hurry (threaten to maim them if they goof off)
9:52am - Homeschool Post updates, check twitter and facebook while I wait on kids
10:00am - start school on the couch in the school room, prayer journals done while I blog and check emails
10:26am - Read Bible, discussion ensues
10:47am - Read devotional, discussion ensues
11:20am - recite last week's memory verse
11:26am - drill, write memory verse for this week on index cards
11:29am - baby wakes
11:30am - Kaden changes diaper
11:45am - baby in bouncy chair while kids work
11:52am - Morgan helps get lunch ready
11:54am - Kaden tidies the school area
12:00noon - go through junk mail, clean off desk area, kids set table
12:05pm - baby watching Pooh video
12:06pm - eat lunch... frozen pasta meal, leftover rice, bread, tea/coke
12:20pm - nurse baby, daddy pops in to eat a quick lunch
12:33pm - watch humming birds, discussion ensues
12:45pm - unload dishwasher, clean up lunch
12:50pm - take some photos, take out the trash
1:00pm - start dishwasher, play with baby
1:34pm - Back to school: Math
1:54pm - nurse baby, bad attitudes
2:12pm - read to baby, tummy time for baby
2:17pm - problems with percentages, math lesson review
2:30pm - nurse, download photos to PC
3:00pm - baby down for nap
3:15pm - kids fighting and still not done with Math
3:35pm - assign math as homework, move on
3:45pm - baby wakes from nap
3:46pm - Kaden does diaper
3:50pm - Morgan gathers our reading material for the car, leave for photo-shoot
4:44pm - kids play with baby in back seat, take photos from car windows
4:45pm - nurse baby at home, daddy arrives with rotisserie chicken
5:00pm - continue reading our reading (science, history, health)
5:55pm - Morgan sets table, daddy cooks
5:56pm - Kaden changes diaper
5:57pm - Mommy dizzy, drinks water
6:12pm - Morgan makes Kool-Aid
6:20pm - Kaden researches a bug in his bug encyclopedia
6:27pm - feed baby in his high chair: sweet potatoes and rice cereal
6:30pm - prayer and eat dinner
7:00pm - nurse baby, kids start dishes
7:18pm - baby to bed
7:39pm - reading (photography)
7:45pm - baby wakes, kids play with him
8:14pm - math homework, mom does school planning, bounce baby on lap
8:45pm - watch a bit of Pooh with baby
8:51pm - Mommy nurses baby to sleep, kids working on math
8:55pm - Daddy snoring (took sinus meds hours earlier)
9:00pm - check email, download photos, kids finish math
10:00pm - kids eat ice cream and then take showers, mom blogs
11:15pm - read Carry on Mr. Bowditch with kids (too tired), bedtime

There are some definite areas in our schedule today that needed revising, however, the day was great - even if it was exhausting. Tomorrow we'll cut our losses on Math a LOT earlier and since our A Beka books for the school year have arrived, we'll be starting our new books tomorrow. That alone will excite the kids and help things move faster.

Can't wait to play with the photos the children took. They are excellent! We really need to get up earlier tomorrow, too... which will be hard since we are going to bed so late.

Is this a typical day? Well, sortof. It seems with baby around that all of our days look different. Change is the only constant... well, change, spit-up and dirty diapers.

But we are in it for the long haul... and I'm sure that with God on our side, we'll make all the progress we need to make as long as we just keep "doing the next thing" on our priority list. That, and making sure to remember that the relationships are King.

It's the heart that counts. Not just the head.

P is for Piano Man

Come join us at the Homeschool Post with your letter P photos! You can do any letter you want, but that's what they are doing this week over there. I actually posted it Friday, but forgot my stupid login password to McLinky. Fancy that - with only three brain cells to rub together now that I've had my third kid, I'm lucky to be alive.

The Post in Which I Tell You I Can't Post

There are Famous Amos cookie crumbs on my lesson planner. Three cups with various unfinished drinks on my desk. A purse, a stack of diapers, a handful of clean bibs and baby outfits, things I'm selling on Craig's List, cords, stacks of paper, books, - OH! There's my wallet!

My laundry pile in the bedroom is gone, but there is now a new mountain of it forming on the couch behind me. The file cabinet is open and the camera case empty. Where did I put that dratted camera, anyway?

Maybe I can talk the husband in to stopping a few times to take a picture on our 'field trip' today. I suppose I could call it that - it is educational to load furniture, right? Well, maybe not for my kids since we've moved 13 times or more in our nearly 17 year marriage.

What I'm trying to say is... chaos is finding me. And there's no time to post. Not until the shiny silver refrigerator is hooked up in my house (we're buying it used at a really cheap price from a friend).

And I'm sorry about the mess that Photobucket made of my blog the last 40 hours or so. And I promise to get the school photos up as soon as possible, Darcy!

Please forgive. Must go now.

Be sure to enter to win a shiny, HUGE, beautiful, expensive Bible over at the Post while I'm away!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Feetsies

Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: feet, infant, family, parenting, photography, motherhood,digital photography, baby

Drop-In Distractions: Grandpa and the Lens

Since I think in terms of lists, it's easy for me to get discouraged. Especially with a 5 month old in the house. I had huge dreams of how much I'd be able to accomplish this time since I have 'helpers' (my 12 and 10 year old kiddos) and I'm a 'seasoned pro' at parenting. Right? Don't we all make silly over-achieving generalities as homeschool moms... ??? Or is it just me?

I was just having a serious motivation problem today. There were lots of reasons:

1. The house isn't clean. The weekend left it looking like a war zone.
2. My desk is messier than the house.
3. The mail is in a pile of half-opened envelopes and late bills.
4. The books I'm selling are stacked in the hall-way cluttering the house.
5. The to do list was open in a spiral notebook on my desk - glaring at me.
6. My blogs were neglected and my email unanswered.
7. We aren't anywhere near our school-year groove and it's getting close to the time when we really have to get serious about sticking to the task.
8. The baby has been fussy after a recent bout with constipation or teething - which wears on my nerves when I can't help him or figure out what's wrong. He requires 50X more of me when he's hurting or upset - which throws our routines out the window.
9. It was looking like the day would be a complete wash when we weren't able to get much more than one subject covered.



Then Papa John called. He was stopping by after lunch. What a nice distraction. That improved my mood and gave us all a little incentive to get some house work done. We got the baby bathed just before he arrived (and just after his explosion - which was an answered prayer, even if it was smelly).

Not only did we have a visitor coming... but we had an unexpected arrival (the arrival of a much anticipated new Tamron lens for my camera). I was upset that the door bell rang during baby K's morning nap time, but not for long! The sour mood I was in melted away with the stroke of a signature. Who cares if the UPS lady saw me in my satin jammy pants and a spit-up covered T-shirt?

I did the happy dance all the way back upstairs with my package making squeaky noises I couldn't contain. The kids thought I was squeezing the cat. They giggled to see me bouncing up the stairs and gladly put down the mechanical pencils and their forgotten copy-work to help me cut open the box. We affixed my new lens to the Canon only seconds after it arrived.

My mountain of clean clothes needing to be folded was suddenly insignificant. I was giddy. It even came with a lens hood! Small stuff to most photographers, I know... but I'm still new at all this camera-gear and the girlish infatuation runs deep.



Outside on the porch, I sat on the swing and took a shot of the Vitex tree. I saw some bees buzzing up on the top branches. Without getting up, I zoomed in on a bee in the tree and caught the shot below (I couldn't even see that much detail with my eyes from that far away).



WOW! It's not photo art (and I didn't use Photoshop on any of these), but for some WYSIWYG snapping, I was impressed with the amount of light and distance I was getting. This lens is certainly an upgrade. Tamron rocks in my opinion. Can't wait to save up for a Macro next.



I also got a picture of one of our resident hummers... something that would have been harder to do with my other zoom lens. This one is a much better lens than the one I already had.

There were more important things to judge the day by than to-do lists and school assignment charts with a relative and a zoom lens in the house.



So we goofed off together. We took pictures. We tidied up the house a bit. We laughed. We visited. We walked around the block together. We ate together. We read together before bed.

We'll get to the to-do list tomorrow.




Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: Tamron, nature, family, homeschool, parenting, photography, motherhood, lenses, zoom lens, digital photography, homeschooling, happy, to do list, baby

It Was Probably Tracy

My buddy Tracy will know what I'm talking about with the title of this post. It's an inside joke. She was my homeschool swap buddy this month with the Homeschool Post. She's in the middle of a move. She took time out of her chaos to mail my swap gift early! She's a keeper!

My kids love the Homeschool Swap as much as I do. They know that mom is a pushover. I usually share my presents if there is enough to go around. This time, Morgan and Kaden both got some candy out of the deal - so THEY love Tracy, too!



Lookie what I got:

Blue beaded earrings (gorgeous)
Fancy silver and blue Air Force pen (THANK YOU to our armed forces!)
Better Homes & Gardens Magazine (always in style)
Dried blueberries (Mmmm!)
Wintergreen lifesaver mints (my son's favorite)
Bat Man PEZ (Morgan's favorite movie character of late)
Pretty sticky notes
"Friend Loves at All Times" mini plaque

She really packs her swap presents!

I'm mailing yours Monday, Tracy! Hope you love it as much as I love mine!

If you are jealous and want to hop in on the next Homeschool Mom swap at the Post, please check us out on Saturdays! The next Swap will be the second Saturday of September. We do them every other month to make sure there is ample time for moms to:

Sign up
Fill out the swap questions
Be paired with a swap sister
Get know their swap sister by reading her answers (and praying for her)
Buy and mail a gift under 15$
Open and photograph the gift you receive
Post about it on your blog
Email us the link so we can showcase it

It's really easy and super fun. Hope that you'll consider joining us next month!




Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: Homeschooling, Homeschool Post, Fun, Friends, swap, gifts, Homeschool, Personal, Buddies

Eye'll Bee Right Back

I've got a nasty paper cut and my bookcase shuffle we've been doing is not yet complete. Hence, I won't be blogging a long post tonight... but I did want to share these VERY IMPORTANT and EXTRA REAL WONDERFUL links with you.

Here they are...



My entry for Thursday's Photo Challenge:

Morgan's Eye

Thursday's theme this week: Rare (unusual things, uncommon things and situations)
Someone told me this was a sectoral heterochromia. The doctor said it was a nevus (birthmark such as a mole on the iris). I just think it's wonderful.

Some things to Ponder with me:
Greek vs. Hebrew Homeschooling
Robin Sampson guest posts at the Homeschool Post and shares her Greek and Hebrew homeschool methods chart. I love her book, "Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach" and am thoroughly enjoying reading it.

I've got great expectations for my homeschool year... don't you??? That's why you'll probably enjoy reading this devotional for homeschool moms by Dianne of Bunny Trails:
Great Expectations

Oh, and I won my very FIRST apron - EVER. Check out the story and see the picture of it over at my foodie blog:
Gathering Manna...
I Promise 2 Bee More Domestic
I won it at the Apronista (Domestic Chicky rawks, y'all).

OUCHIE. My finger hurts. I got a deep paper cut today while cleaning out the book cases. Man, it stinks!

Hopefully tomorrow the book cases will be done and my house won't look like a Good Will drop-off site any more.

Bee is over and out. Bzzzz.



Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: eyes, Photoshop, domestic, life, personal, photography, motherhood, pictures, vision, Christian, homeschool, mommy, apron, education

The WHERE of School

This week Darcy wanted us to post about our school room. Funny, that I have been working on organizing it lately. Yesterday we spent the day at a friend of my mother's that she grew up with. She was giving me a book case to go in my daughter's closet (which we'll go pick up next weekend) and we've been organizing things to make room for nearly a hundred old books she gave us and a few we picked up at the book fair. The photos here are of when my school room was CLEAN. It's not clean today. But we're working on it.

I lerve books. When I think of a school 'room', I just think of where to store my books. School can't be confined to a room - learning happens everywhere. Not just at home, either.

So what I call my 'school room' is where the books go. Most of them, anyway. We have books in the children's rooms, too. And I'm about to put some books in my room as well. Then there's the basket of "currently in use" books that are borrowed from a friend and sitting in a plastic box behind my couch. That's also where public library books reside while they visit our house.

The 'school room' is my favorite room in the entire house - it's where I blog. It doubles as an office and an entertainment den, too. We call it our "under-water room" because of the teal blue whimsical paint on the walls (that were painted while hubby was away on a business trip). [Click the link to go see more photos] It houses our map and globe collection and my 'wall of inspiration' - a collection of photos and favorite paper things I love to look at, hanging over my desk.



Most of our 'school' when we are home takes place downstairs at the dining table despite having a 'school room', however. We like to spread our work out on the table and sit together. The school room has a couch and a TV for video games and educational movies... so there's no room for a table and chairs. I like the "minimalist" decor in the dining room for school, too. I haven't painted the room yet - so there are few distractions (barring the cats stay away).

Sometimes our school room is the car, the back yard, or the king sized bed in my room (great for snuggling with all three kids to read and nap... because napping comes after reading sometimes). Or sometimes our school room is our kitchen. I think it's funny that we associate a room with school... when all of life is learning. You don't need a specific room designated for school - but it is nice to keep your supplies and books in one place.

That's why we have our school boxes nearly full of everything we need to work with for our assignments. We can pop the box in the car and head out... like we did yesterday... or we can move our box to another room in our house and stretch out on the floor. I like to change up the scenery when we do school sometimes just for fun. Every now and then we even go to the library to do school.

Where do you do school?

Tell me about it in the comments section. Be sure also to check out Darcy's carnival for other homeschool school room posts.



Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: teacher, home, teaching, homeschool, parenting, house, motherhood, school, organizing, decorating, homeschooling, books, bookshelves, back to school

I Heart Faces: My Funny Face

After winning the super awesome lens last week and listening to my buddy Dawn harp on me because I never enter the photo challenges at I Heart Faces, I decided to enter. So here's my first entry to the I Heart Faces challenge. I hope I'm doing this right... I gather that you just have to submit your post on Monday or Tuesday and sign the linky. But I'm slow, and have no brain cells left after pregnancy, childbirth, and homeschooling. So you'll have to go easy on me.

I love this photo. I know you've seen it before... but it is one of my very favorites. It was totally not staged. She did it on her own. I just happened to be sitting there with the camera right then. My daughter is a cut-up; she has the best sense of humor. She makes me laugh all the time. Today she bought her brother a tiny tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream at Target with her own money to cheer him up.

She's a keeper.



Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: silly, faces, kids, goofy, funny, photography, motherhood, pictures, summer, pool, laugh, happy, smile, children

Happy Bee!

So much to say today! I just don't know where to start!

First of all, I WON A TAMRON LENS FROM I HEART FACES!!! Holy moly. I never figured I would win the contest, so I was completely shocked when I started getting your comments on my last post. Maybe my husband will quit nagging at me for wasting time blogging now.

Can't wait to get the lens and play with it! I'm sure there will be photos to come!

I've been a bit out-of-the-loop with our weekend with family and the homeschool conference, so I am unable to get regular emails sent out from my Outlook... but trust me, I'm reading every one you send me. I'm sure you'll get some delayed responses from me after I return home.

The conference was overwhelming (it was my third real-life one this year). I couldn't believe how many people were at the Homeschool conference in Houston! Man, alive. I nearly got run over by herds of teeming homeschoolers. We left early because they took my stroller away and I ended up spilling an entire Starbucks coffee into my diaper bag.

Unlike mama, who got a bad attitude after the coffee incident, the baby did great. He was in such a happy mood. He fell in love with Marshie and picked up another chick at the restaurant in the Marriott. Seems he's a genuine flirt, that little 'cheese stick'.



This is the waitress that made Kohen his first REAL applesauce. She had her chef puree two apples and sent out a little bowl of it to our table. She just wanted to hold him. So Marsha took some pictures since I had forgotten my camera. [Yes, you can kick me.] The big window provided the most amazing soft portrait light.



Unfortunately, the amazing portrait light didn't take off 20 lbs. or remove wrinkles. Here's the lovely Marsha, the chunky baby, and the frumpy bee... complete with punkrock hair.

That photo was taken just after I got Sally Clarkson's autograph. Aren't you jealous?! She is the bomb, y'all. I was amazed when she told me that her husband wrote most of "Educating the WholeHearted Child". Of course, her lesson I wanted to hear was on 'enduring to the end of the day'... and that's the one that I left in the beginning of (kind of ironic). Maybe I'll order the video or audio from THSC.



They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This one is talking to me. It's a little blurry, but just look at the details:

1. The rogue coffee cup that killed the rest of my conference day also stole the focal point.

2. I wish I could afford to stay in hotels like that. The lobby was gorgeous. They even had LOTION dispensers in the bathrooms. There's something about wide expanses of glossy, sunlit marble that makes you feel RELAXED.

3. Morgan got to be in the picture because she's "a blogger, too". Sometimes I forget that she's 10. She one of my best friends in the whole world.

4. In love with that fabric. I could have just moved in to that lounge. Permanently.

5. Marsha looks great in dresses. Note to self: need to wear dresses more often. Marsha would have looked great in jeans, too, I'm sure.

What you can't tell from the picture above is that we are wearing our BEE shirts. You can see a close up of the baby's shirt below...



Yes. He's cute. And he's MINE. I'm so greedy. I know.

I've been meaning to get everyone in the shirts and get a photo taken. However, getting the laundry, the kids, and the blog ideas lined up is like waiting on a comet to make it's rounds through the galaxy. So here you see us all in our bee shirts (minus the boy - who actually DID wear his shirt, but is not with us at the conference).

Here are the graphics from our shirts:



Aren't those cute??? Of course, my "Unique" shirt is hot pink... but you get the gist. Wish I had thought of them! They are adorable and the kids love them. I love the onsie that baby bee wears the best.

So I guess that sums up the weekend. Happy stuff. Friends, family, homeschool conferences, cute babies and shirts, organic applesauce, and a Tamron lens. Oh, my!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend, too! See you when I get back to the regular routine!


Photo credit: Marsha Drews

Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: conference, shirts, friends, homeschool, parenting, photography, motherhood, lenses, Houston, book fair, homeschooling, happy, bloggers, baby

Pep-Talks and Priorities

I'm trying to stick to my guns and stay off the computer lately. Yes, with homeschool kind-of started (lack of finishing touches on my planning is keeping us on a half-day schedule) and all these book fairs and online conferences, I'm finding that there is little of me to go around. Twitter, Facebook, and blogging are fun... but sleep is necessary - and so are the priorities. I wrote about not letting your priorities slide while you keep up your online presence over at the Homeschool Post. In case you didn't catch that article, it's a good one - especially in light of school coming up.

The good thing about my current distractions are:

1. The baby is twenty-thousand kinds of wonderful.

2. The online conference has been GREAT (and I plan to relish the audio files when it is over)!

3. The kids are helping to get organized and seeing the necessity in the process.

4. The real-life conferences I have attended are providing me with great pep-talks and a chance to get back in the 'groove' of homeschool mom after my mind has been pickled with pregnancy hormones and postpartum chaos.

Yep, I'm going to another REAL LIFE homeschool conference. This one is in Houston. Well, technically, it's in The Woodlands. And don't forget to capitalize your ' The '. I've been to a good many conferences in Texas, and this one is the one I haven't yet attended. I have been hearing great things and I happen to know a few bloggy faces that will be there. So if you are planning to attend the H-Town event, please give me a shout out and let me know!

In the mean time, enjoy your summer or your homeschool planning. August is upon us!



Photo credit: City of Houston website.


Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: conference, priorities, teaching, homeschool, parenting, curriculum, motherhood, school, Houston, book fair, homeschooling, preparing, school year, back to school

Wordless Wednesday: Brudderz

Can you find the sunburn on big brother's forehead? And that little 'cheese stick' (we call him this because he smells like rotten cheese after he spits up! Ha!) is eating his fingers. He's trying to be a thumb-sucker and I keep pushing the passy on him. Poor thing. A passy is easier to take away later than a thumb.

And now, I'm going to let the rest of this post be wordless. Because it's late and I'm about to fall off of this chair.

So you can bask in the cuteness of the boys. And that is all.

Bee Secrets

"Press your little finger on the spot. You see. The flower yawns immediately, the secret lock works. And you think the bumble-bee does not know these things? Watch it in the garden and you will see how it can read the signs of the flowers. When it visits a snap-dragon, it always alights on the yellow spot and nowhere else. The door opens, it enters. It twists and turns in the corolla and covers itself with pollen, with which it daubs the stigma. Having drunk the drop, it goes off to other flowers, forcing the opening of which it knows the secret thoroughly.

"All closed flowers have, like the snap-dragon, a conspicuous point, a spot of bright color, a sign that shows the insect the entrance to the corolla and says to it: Here it is. Finally, insects whose trade it is to visit flowers and make the pollen fall from the stamens on to the stigma, have a wonderful knowledge of the significance of this spot. It is on it they use their strength to make the flower open.

"Let us recapitulate. Insects are necessary to flowers to bring pollen to the stigmas. A drop of nectar, distilled on purpose for this, attracts them to the bottom of the corolla; a bright spot shows them the road to follow. Either I am a triple idiot or we have here an admirable chain of facts. Later, my children, you will find only too many people saying: This world is the product of chance, no intelligence rules it, no Providence guides it. To those people, my friends, show the snap-dragon's yellow spot. If, less clear-sighted than the burly bumble-bee, they do not understand it, pity them: they have diseased brains."

- Jean Henri Fabre, The Storybook of Science

Interestingly, neither of the bees in my photos are bumble bees. One is a honey bee, the other, a carpenter bee. I couldn't resist these shots, though. My Chaste Trees are busy with a surprising amount of bees right now. Because of the drought, many yards have long lost their flowers - so we have more than our fair share of insects. My husband loves his trees and treats them like pets; therefore, the bees love my house. One got inside the other night and I caught it in a jar and set it free in the back yard.

The Storybook of Science is a wonderful book that makes a handy nature-study companion and nature journal resource. We hope to be able to purchase this book for our home library this year. I'm looking so forward to the cooler weather and much nature study with the children!




Subscribe to Sprittibee by Email

Buzz Words: nature, books, journaling, homeschool, bees, photography, back yard, photo, purple, insects, homeschooling, summer, school year, back to school